Seed Sourcing at Domaine de Graux
As spring unfolds, farmers eagerly place their seeds into the soil, nurturing them with care and anticipation of a bountiful harvest. But the journey begins long before these seeds touch the earth. In fall, the true season of preparation, farmers reflect on the past season, plan for the next, and make crucial decisions—selecting seeds, improving soils, and setting the foundation for future growth.
The same preparation is key at Domaine de Graux. Fall marks a busy time on the farm, where careful planning and groundwork are just as vital for the coming seasons. In fall, Armand, the farm’s market gardener, and Emilien, the crop manager, start planning for the next season. They purchase seeds as soon as possible to ensure the organic varieties they need are available. For both farmers, among their most important decisions will be what to plant and where to source the seeds.
Domaine de Graux is a certified organic farm. The farm’s agroecological practices and smaller scale production rely on direct relationships with buyers including local restaurants and breweries, market basket subscribers, and buyers of the products produced on the farm.
"I carefully choose what to sow and plant based on those who will bring my harvest to life," explains Armand. "For home cooks and market shoppers, I cultivate a vibrant variety of familiar, beloved vegetables—staples that make it easy to create delicious, nutritious meals for their families. For chefs, who turn vegetables into works of art, I seek out the extraordinary. I listen to their vision and grow high-value, unique produce that elevates their dishes, allowing them to craft unforgettable culinary experiences.”
Organic farmers are required to use organic seeds* whenever possible. However, some varieties sell out quickly, leaving certain seeds unavailable for the season. Last year at Domaine de Graux, Armand faced this challenge with small white turnips and radishes. To continue his harvest, he had to request an exemption from the organic certifier to use untreated conventional seeds, as no organic alternatives remained.
* Organic seeds are bred according to organic guidelines and produced within organic systems. Later in the series, we'll explore how they differ from conventionally bred seeds.
To minimize such challenges, Armand carefully sources seeds from multiple suppliers, ensuring access to a diverse selection of varieties. However, navigating these exemptions is becoming increasingly complex. As technologies like gene editing become more widespread in conventional agriculture, the gap between organic and non-organic seed sources may widen. Currently, both genetic modification and gene editing are strictly prohibited in organic farming across the EU and US, but future developments could further complicate seed availability for organic growers.
For Emilien, meeting customer needs requires planting multiple varieties of grain. The diversity adds resilience for the farm as well. “In September, when we place our seed order, we have no idea what the climate will be like in a year.”
Emilien plants multiple varieties in a plot to reduce risks and optimize yield. Organic seeds are more expensive than conventional ones, making it essential for Domaine de Graux to carefully consider their seed choices. Beyond cost, Emilien and Armand also evaluate each variety for other traits, such as resilience and overall contribution to a thriving, sustainable farm. For the market garden, flavor and nutrition are especially important. For grain crops on the other hand, the height of the plant is important to prevent lodging, when the stem falls over in the rain. Ideally, the available seed varieties will be adapted to the region, the farm’s soil, types of pests and diseases, climate, and agroecological practices.
Armand and Emilien can save seeds from each season, provided they do not share them with other farms. Seed saving, a practice as old as agriculture itself, helps preserve crop diversity, reduces reliance on commercial seed suppliers, and allows farmers to adapt varieties to their specific growing conditions over time. However, this time-honored tradition is becoming less common due to increasing regulations, technological advancements, and patents on seed varieties. For Armand and Emilien, seed saving requires significant extra effort—harvesting, cleaning, and testing the seeds—while also carrying the risk of reduced germination or crop failure. Despite the challenges, the ability to save and reuse seeds remains a valuable tool for long-term sustainability and resilience in organic farming.
A Complex Journey from Seed to Soil
For Emilien and Armand, the decisions and process of selecting and purchasing organic seeds are the normal tasks of farming. As consumers, we are familiar with the ideas of farm-to-table. Yet there is just as complex a journey, perhaps more so, from the seed to the soil. This universe of factors determines what seeds are available long before Armand’s and Emilien’s decisions occur.
These complexities include regulations, market dynamics, and control of seed resources. Limited biodiversity, seed genetics, and patents restrict farmers' choices. Traits like resilience and climate adaptation affect yield. While new breeding technologies—such as gene editing and AI modeling—can speed up seed development for climate and nutrition goals, they also pose risks to organic integrity.
Over the coming months, The Nest Journal will explore the journey from seed to soil. We will provide in-depth interviews with seed breeders and experts on the regulatory shifts and market complexities. Explore biodiversity loss and climate risk and how seeds can create a resilient food system. We will look at the innovation and risks of technologies that are changing both seeds and the rules that govern what farmers can access and plants. We will unravel how centuries of seed selection contributed to a loss of nutrition in favor of yield, and how we can replant the health of our food supply, soil, and ourselves.
